Well I managed to pick up the WRR and ride it home this evening. It was fairly cold ride home so the first modification I made to it after pulling off most of the decals was to install a hookup for my heated vest.

Not counting my vintage bikes which are a whole other riding experience entirely this is the first small bore bike I've had since my XL250 which I bought new in 1986. 8 miles home is not much of a test ride, but I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of fun on this bike. I figure it is a good 90 pounds lighter than my KLR with the same amount of fuel on board. Might not make me a better rider, but it should be a lot easier picking it up when I fall over.

It's delicious kool-aid though. If I find one for the right price I plan on unloading my KLX250 for one.

I really don't see the huge advantage of the WRR over the KLX250S, especially when you can get the 351 kit and larger carb for it and still be well under the price of the WRR. Yes you loose the fuel-injection, but in my book that's a good thing as I can fix most any carb problem on the trail. You can also still add an OEM kick-starter kit for the KLX for $300 - something you can't do with the WRR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swingset

I dunno... Yeah, you'll be changing more oil and checking valves...but I'd bet the pee-pee tingle you get when you're on the dirt just might make it worth it. 26lbs lighter, and double the HP to the ground and way better brakes and sproingers. Of course, you'll be writing a lot bigger check.

Hard to argue against the KTM unless you start talking about the cost or maintenance. The 350 and 500 EXC-F's are essentially the Ferrari of the D/S world. They have all the fancy bells and whistles and are faster than a Skyline Chili induced bowel evacuation, but it all comes at the expense of affordability and bulletproof reliability.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swingset

Or mebbe something in between?

Slap a plate on, bulletproof motor, EFI, a little lighter than the WRR and lots more balls.

Seems the street-legal version of a WR450F has been available in other markets (Europe and Australia) for quite awhile so it's not as much of a long shot as some might think. Whether it shares the same race-bred WRF engine or has a more maintenance friendly and less powerful engine like the WR250R is the question.

That's what everyone is waiting for. Retail would be $9k-9500 as a guess, local dealer & I discussed this before I picked up a used 250.

I'm pretty sure that is not going to happen. I wish it would, but it is not going to. Lots of politics involved with corporate air quality issues. Yamaha had to kill several 2 stoke outboards to keep the 2 stroke MX bikes. Even more difficult for stuff with a plate.

Much easier when you bring in a small amount of units, such as ....KTM, Husqvarna, Beta, Husaberg, TM.............the rules only apply to people bringing in a bunch of units.

Hard to argue against the KTM unless you start talking about the cost or maintenance. The 350 and 500 EXC-F's are essentially the Ferrari of the D/S world. They have all the fancy bells and whistles and are faster than a Skyline Chili induced bowel evacuation, but it all comes at the expense of affordability and bulletproof reliability.

The cost/maintenance beliefs were what has kept me from owning a KTM for quite a while, but after a lot of research, the newer XC4 engines have proven to be extremely reliable and the valves rarely move.

The newest of the new is always going to be high, but NOS 450 and 530s can be found for 7 grand or less. Street legal out of the gate and a lot of bang for the buck considering MSRP of a WR250R is now at $6,690.

Sure, you'll change the oil a little more often, but it's a five minute job. Trans and filter every other oil change. Valves rarely (if ever) move. Fifty pounds lighter, gobs of power, both kickstart and magic button.

The FI vs. Carb debate notwithstanding, the only real compromise is fuel economy.

The FI vs. Carb debate notwithstanding, the only real compromise is fuel economy.

Stator output and subframe, too. They aren't important to me personally I don't use my little DS bikes for anything but trails and day trips and I don't ever intend on powering heated gear off 'em, but for someone wanting an "all arounder" that is a tangible downside to a race-bred KTM.